Phacoemulsification refers to the process of ultrasonic disintegration of the lens of a human or animal eye using a vibrating probe which operates at a frequency above the audio range. It is a known surgical procedure for removing cataracts. The probe includes a needle which vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies to shatter the cataract. The shattered debris is withdrawn through an aspiration removal tube.
The needle is mounted on the surgical instrument which sometimes is referred to as a Phacoemulsification handpiece or "phaco probe". A number of such handpieces or probes are known, the most common of which utilizes piezo-electric transducers to produce the vibrations of the needle at ultrasonic frequencies. Commonly-owned application Ser. No. 07/251,531, filed on Sep. 30, 1988 describes and claims one such phacoemulsification probe that is commercially available from the assignee of the present invention, Storz Instrument Company of St. Louis, Mo.
Phaco probes typically require a means for aspiration and/or irrigation of the operation site. A problem with such devices, however, is that the structure for aspirating and/or irrigating the site is typically rigidly fixed to the surgical instrument. As the instrument is rotated during the operation, the structure rotates and interferes with the surgeon's hand. The surgeon's grip on the instrument, and likewise his control over it, thus can be compromised.
A representative device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,420, to Spinosa et al., which discloses an apparatus and method for the surgical removal of tissue such as a cataract using a needle vibrated at ultrasonic frequencies. The tubing on this device will conflict with the surgeon's grip on the tool as it is maneuvered during the operation, thereby increasing the difficulty of the surgical procedure and decreasing the comfort and grip on the instrument by the surgeon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,790, to Hornlien et al., discloses an ultrasonic surgical system with an aspirator/irrigation manifold. The aspiration tube is placed along the outside of the surgical instrument and, as the instrument is rotated, the tube will conflict with the surgeon's hand and fingers, thereby possibly encumbering the surgeon during the surgical procedure.